The death toll has risen to 11,300 as a result of the disastrous floods in the coastal city of Derna in eastern Libya, according to a UN report published on Saturday that also said that more deaths may be discovered as search efforts continue.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), an additional 170 people have died due to flooding outside of Derna with at least 10,100 persons missing in the city alone.
“These figures are expected to rise as search-and-rescue crews work tirelessly to find survivors,” it added.
The UN reports that over 40,000 people have been displaced in northeastern Libya due to Storm Daniel’s extreme rainfall, which was exacerbated by factors such as ageing infrastructure, inadequate warnings, and the accelerating climate crisis.
Derna, a disaster epicentre, was split into two after flood waters swept entire neighbourhoods, displacing at least 30,000 people, with a population of around 100,000 before the tragedy, the UN said.
“With thousands of displaced people now on the move, the risk of exposure to landmines and Explosive Ordnance of War (ERW) leftover from years of conflict is on the rise, as flood waters have now shifted landmines and ERW,” OCHA said.
Storm Daniel’s flooding has exposed nearly 300,000 children to increased risks of cholera, malnutrition, diarrhoea, dehydration, and “increased risks of violence and exploitation,” the report added.
